senator from massachusetts. while she greatly regrets she cannot be with us tonight, she sent us a video instead. please note that this video was taped before the events of the government shutdown. >> good evening, and thank you to the courtesy of the planning committee for inviting me to join you tonight. i wish i could be with you in person but we are going to have to settle for this video. i am glad to be here to mark the 175th anniversary of angelina grimke's historic speech to the massachusetts general assembly. it is an incredible time to celebrate the legacy of courageous women in the abolitionist movement. their efforts grew into five for suffrage and equal rights. this anniversary is also a reminder of the powerful impact we can have when we make our voices heard and we stand up for what we believe in. i never planned to get into politics. i spent pretty much my whole career as a teacher, and as a law professor, i taught bankruptcy and did research on the economic squeeze on middle class families. and t